CV

Prof. Dr. Hans Peter Peters

Education

Staatsexamen Sek II in social sciences and physics, University of Cologne, Germany (1981)

Academic Affiliations

Since 2004: Adjunct Professor of Science Journalism, Free University of Berlin, Germany
– Institute for Media and Communication Studies

Since 1984: Social Scientist, Research Center Juelich, Germany
– Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: Ethics in the Neurosciences (since 2009)
– Program Group Humans-Environment-Technology (1990-2008)
– Program Group Technology and Society (1984-1990)

Research

Research on public communication of science, technology and risk in the fields of nuclear power, genetic engineering, natural disasters, global climate change, and biomedicine:

interface of science and media (interactions of scientists and journalists; public relations of science, online communication, scientific experts)

reception and effects of media coverage of scientific issues by media audiences, political decision-makers and the research community (science governance, medialization of science, political use of scientific expertise)

journalistic approaches in the reporting of risk

public opinion and opinion formation on technological and environmental risk

social contexts of the neurosciences

cross-cultural studies of science communication.

Research grants: German Research Foundation (DFG), Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Volkswagen Foundation, European Commission, Rutgers University/U.S. Department of Agriculture.

International collaborations with colleagues in Europe, USA, Brazil, Israel and China.

Academic Teaching

Subjects:

Science communication, science journalism, experts in the public sphere

Environmental and risk communication

Methods of empirical communication research

Regular courses at Free University of Berlin (since 2004), University of Dusseldorf (1998-2003) and University of Munster (1991-1999).

Author of written study units on Scientists as public experts (Open University, UK) and Risk communication (German Institute for Distant Learning, University of Tubingen).

Outreach

Invited talks at events for communication practitioners (science journalists, public information officers, risk communicators), public administration, industry, labor unions, other organizations of the civil society, and the interested general public.

Media interviews with journalists from newspapers, magazines, radio and TV programs.

Organization of communication trainings for scientists at the Research Center Juelich since 1992; trainer in media workshops for scientists of the European Science Communicators Network (ESConet) on behalf of the European Commission (coordinated by University College London).